Campesension
by Handere
Summary: David has a very special activity planned for the campers. Max is determined to find out what.
1. Chapter 1

A soft orange beam shined through the trees, illuminating the glistening grass. A bird sang from its roost as it flew down toward the soil in hopes of catching an early feast of worms, only to be immediately devoured by Camp Campbell's very own mascot. Aside from the terrifying act of nature-do platypuses even eat birds?-the camping site emerged with soft shades of orange and yellow. Edvard Grieg's "Morning Mood" could practically be heard, and that's because it was.

"Preston! Turn that shit off!" Max sprang upward from his bed, sticking his head from the tarps his tent, assuring the neighboring camper could hear his demand.

"Well, excuse me for wanting to wake up in a peaceful manner!" Preston's voice roared from his tent, huffing as he switched his alarm off.

"Well, some of us don't wanna wake up ever!" Max slumped back into a cacoon, yawning as he snuggled close to Mr. Honeynuts, and returning to a peaceful slumber. His eyes snapped back open to the deafening tone of David's stupid bugle like it's a fucking military reveille.

By the time Max had donned on his usual blue hoodie and trudged out his tent, all the campers had already dressed and started for the Mess Hall. Max glared from the corner of his eye to see Preston's smug look. 'Theatre nerds' Max scoffed, stuffing his hands in his pockets. As usual, David and Gwen stood before the campers.

"Gooood morning, my fellow Camp Campbell Campers!" David's energetic councilor voice was just as irritating to Max as the bugle. 'It's way too early for this shit.' Max rubbed his droopy eyes awake.

"I hope everyone's had a good night's rest because today's activity is gonna be something very special!" David's hands clamped together ever so excitedly.

"When is it not?" Max grumbled to himself but was undoubtedly heard by Nikki and Niel.

"Doesn't David usually give activity announcements after we've had breakfast?" Neil yawned.

"Must be *super* special, then." Max shrugged. He honestly couldn't give less of a shit if he tried. And he tried. It was probably something stupid, like a scavenger hunt, or something David-y.

Nikki beamed with excitement. "Ooh! What if we finally get to have a squirrel sledding race!"

"We did that last week, remember? Neil had to get sent to the hospital for rabies."

Neil rubbed his trembling hands together. "I'd rather not remember that horrid day." The three campers turned back to David when Gwen cleared her throat, urging them to pay attention. David's smile stretched further across his face.

"Thank you, Gwen! Now, I know I don't usually give announcements before you've all had a healthy breakfast, but today's activity is just so gosh darn exciting, I couldn't wait to tell you!"

"So, what is it?" Space Kid raised his hand.

"Glad you asked, Space Kid! Gwen, would you do the honor of reading today's agenda?" David hands Gwen a clipboard. She rolled her eyes, taking it before reading it.

"Let's see...after breakfast-" Gwen narrows her eyes in confusion, taking a closer look at the agenda. She turns to her partner, gesturing to the clipboard. "Uh...David? What the hell is all this?" Every listed activity for each camper on the agenda had been crossed out in blue ink.

David's eyes beamed. "I'm so glad you asked, Gwen! I was so excited for today's activity, and it was going to take too long for me to prepare, so I've decided to cancel all other activities for today! So, you all get a day off until tonight when the real fun begins!"

The campers looked to one another in confusion and somewhat relief. Max, Neil, and Nikki stared at each other. Was this a delusion from sleep deprivation? Or were they really getting a day off from camp activities? It couldn't be true. However, the glistening in David's azure eyes told them otherwise. This was actually happening.

"But what about Harrison's magic act? He was gonna try to escape from a water trap tank while chained." Nerris called out.

"Yeah! And I was gonna be the one to fill the tank!" Everyone looked toward Nurf, who softly kicks a pebble. "Or, you know, break the glass in case he can't escape."

Harrison raised his hand to speak. "For the record, I don't mind that the magic act was canceled. Mostly, because I've misplaced the water tank."

Max shook his head and raised an eyebrow at Harrison. "Wait, what! You lost the water tank?! But it's like a 5-foot-tall glass box. How do you lose that?"

"Can't you just make it reappear?" Neil raised a finger. Harrison turned to the nerdy camper, giving him a blank look as he pointed to his small top hat. Neil's finger dropped. "Oh. Right."

Gwen pinched the bridge of her nose and groaned. "Alright. You kids go in and have your breakfast. David and I are gonna have a little talk." She opens the door behind her, letting the flood of cheerful campers into the Mess Hall. "Okay. What the hell, David? What's this about?" Gwen points to the agenda.

"Well, last night, I've thought of the most exciting activity for all the campers, and I want it to be a surprise. It's going to be complicated and is going to take all day, but I believe the payoff will be well worth it!"

Gwen sighed. "Look, I don't care whatever plans you have. Just, let me know the next time you pull something like this off, okay?"

David's smile grew, and he gives a traditional Camp Campbell salute. "Can do, Gwen!"

"Yeah, whatever. So, what do we do first-?" Gwen was cut off when David put a finger to her pursed lips.

"Upupup. Now, Gwen, I know we're CBFLs for life, but this is a surprise for you, too. So, you can take a day off as well, while I take care of the activity!"

Gwen was a bit taken back. "Uh, okay. But what if things get too out of hand? You know how Max is."

"Oh, don't you worry about a thing. I'll make sure things go smoothly as butter! Your old pal David's got it covered!"

Gwen shrugged as she entered the Mess Hall to get breakfast. If it means she gets to sleep in and catch up on more trash TV, then what the hell, right?

David waited until she was completely out of site before making his way to the first stop, his office.

Upon entering, he removed the carpet in the center of the room to reveal a hidden door with a wooden ladder leading down into a dark abyss. Turning on the flashlight of his smartphone, David began to climb down. The ladder had lead to a small dimly-lit cellar. The sound of rats feet pattering behind cobwebbed bookshelves echoed through the silence which was replaced with David's boots clamping against the concrete as he walked toward what lied at the end of the room: a 5-foot-tall water tank.

David grinned widely, blue eyes towering over the bound and gagged figure of a man in the center of the tank who looked up at his captor with fearful and teary green orbs.

"So, how's my favorite camp counselor doing today?" Daniel smiled.  



	2. Chapter 2

David had no idea what to think when he first regained consciousness. He was greeted by a kaleidoscope of shapes and dim colors dancing in his vision. Each pulsing vein in his temples sent waves of intense pain, pounding as if his skull were a locked door with a raging madman on the other side.

Was he hit by a bus again?

Why were his legs numb?

Why couldn't he feel anything but pain and discomfort?

David wanted to just curl up and cry and hope the pain would cease. Before he could even conjure the thought of doing so, he realized he was sitting on his knees. He also realized a cold sensation on his limbs, and with one slight movement David discerned his situation; he was bound tightly, wrist to elbow, with rough rusty chains. He wanted to call out, but his beloved shirt-neckerchief had been tightly strapped over his mouth.

What was going on? Where was he?

David's eyes darted in every direction. He scrambled his mind, but there was no clue as to where he was. A basement of some sort? He'd never seen anything like that at Camp Campbell. More importantly, why was he sitting at the bottom of what appeared to be Harrison's tall water tank? (Wasn't he supposed to use that in his magic act today?) Could this be some kind of prank? David figured 'no' as, even during his worst camp "revolutions", Max wouldn't go so far as to knock him unconscious, chain, or even gag him for that matter. And wouldn't Gwen be near him? For once, however, David wished this was a prank. He wished for Max to appear out of nowhere with the other campers and a video camera, saying how they "punked" their camp counselor, mocking him about how they "really got him this time". And David would laugh and take it like a good sport, and then he'd (probably) be freed. Right?

Oh, how he wished this was a prank.

However, no wish could be possible in a situation like this. David knew that, but his optimistic nature prevented him from losing hope. Whatever happened, someone would look for him. It's not like no one's noticed he's missing. Someone would find him. They have to. Even so, why couldn't he keep his eyes dry?

The camp counselor jolted in surprise when an eerie creak of a wooden door echoed through the faint room, followed by the sound of boots stomping on concrete as it edged closer toward David. The single swinging lightbulb above him didn't give him the courtesy of being able to identify the person. However, the voice was more than recognizable.

"So, how's my favorite camp counselor doing today?" Daniel's toothy grin and blue eyes practically pierced from the shadows, sending an unfamiliar chill down David's spine.

Why was Daniel here? Not that David wasn't happy to see his (not even that) old friend again, but wasn't he sent to the hospital about a week ago? What was he doing back so soon? Judging by the worn out tone of his voice, he should be getting some rest. While lost in thought, David had almost forgotten about his own situation. What could Daniel of all people be doing in a basement with David? For that matter, why wasn't he helping him? Unless...

Daniel lightly smacked his forehead with his palm. "Oh, silly me, I forgot you were gagged. Well, I guess I'll be doing most of the talking then. I suppose the most appropriate thing to ask in this situation, is "how's your head?"."

'How's my head'? What kind of question is that? How would Daniel know about his headache?

"You're probably wondering many things right now, such as 'Why are you here?' 'Why am I here?' 'What are you doing in my clothes?'" Daniel paused, turning to David as if he sensed his confusion. "Oh, right. You probably can't see, can you? It is rather dark in here. Lemme help with that."

Even after being told what he was about to see, David was still not prepared when Daniel stepped one foot into the light. David's widened eyes gawked at the towering man. It was as if he were staring at a reflection or a clone...with bright blue eyes. His voice was lodged in his throat.

Daniel's smile stretched across his face. "What's wrong, David? Aren't you glad to see me? It's me. Daniel. You know, the guy whose life you ruined? Surely, you remember that. Aww... don't tell me you forgot me. I mean, it was only a week ago."

What was he talking about? Of course, David remembered him. From the moment he arrived, to their interrupted song banter. And in those moments, Daniel's been nothing but a fun, happy-go-lucky camp counselor, even if he was better than David or Gwen. David just could not for the life of him understand what Daniel's deal was.

Daniel sighed, but continued with a smile. "Well, whether you do or not won't change anything for you here. It just determines whether or not what I plan to do with you seem cruel. Well, breakfast is going to end soon, and I have much to do, so I'll just keep this short. I don't like you, David. Whatever friendly rivalry you thought we had, it wasn't real. I don't really care about being a better camp counselor than you. Heck, I'm not even a real camp counselor. What I really wanted, was your campers. I'm a working man, David. I travel from place to place. Camp to camp. Completing the duties of Zeemoog and the Greater Ones. And I leave no stone unturned. Or, in this case, no compound unascended. I have much-unfinished business here, and as much as I want you to join us, I can't risk you getting in the way again. It was too close a call last time, and the FBI and CIA are hot on my tail ever since I escaped the hospital. So, instead, I'm going to drown you in this tank and then disguise your corpse as myself, so that when the agents arrive, they'll think I'm dead and then I can continue my works with a new identity. But before that, I have to figure out how to help the children rid of their negative emotions and reach ascension. I can't just use the Purification Sauna and rat poison again because that would just be redundant. And being hospitalized taught me that rat poison was the wrong way to go when one wants to successfully poison a camp of children. Most of the compounds I've been to were military bases, so it wasn't difficult to find lethal poisons such as cyanide. Plus, it's not like that would work on the kids again. I've just got to be more careful this time. Oh well, I can improvise! The tank should be filled up to the brim in about...Five to six hours? But don't worry though, I'll be checking in often to catch you up on things. In the meantime, I've got lots of exciting things to plan! But you can't think on an empty stomach, and I've prepared a nutritious breakfast for everyone. So, I'll check on you in a couple hours. Just holler if you need anything. No, wait that's right! You'd want to save your breath, wouldn't you? Silly me! See you soon, David!" Daniel laughed wholeheartedly, which is anything but coming from him, filling the room with silence as the door closed behind him, leaving David alone in the dark.

The tears he hadn't realized were streaming down his face splashed onto his lap as freezing water began pouring from above him.


	3. Chapter 3

Well, the Mess Hall wouldn't be called so if it wasn't constantly being rampaged by a gaggle of pre-pubescent campers. The hall was practically a wooden canvas splattered in various colors. No one really knew how the food fight started, but Gwen found herself aggressively trying to wrangle up the kids like Cocker Spaniel puppies. Originally, she tried to ignore the fight-as this was to be her supposed vacation-but wasn't about to show mercy to whichever little shit was flinging syrup and got her Mothman romance novel messy...well, messier. The only one who wasn't taking part in the whole thing-oddly enough-was Max, as he sat alone at his table picking at his whole-grain waffles and fruit. His eyes, however, were set on "David" who sat on the opposite side of the hall, away from the chaos that ensued. The man was too set for his breakfast to notice. "David" glance eventually met with Max's stare and the counselor gave the blue-clad boy a friendly grin before returning to his breakfast. For some reason, the air around Max suddenly felt colder. 'What the hell?' he thought as he broke into a cold sweat.

"Hey, Max!" Nikki exclaimed as she leaped from underneath the table to her seat.

Max yelped in surprise, nearly spilling his barely-eaten breakfast on the floor. "JESUS FUCK! Nikki! How 'bout a fucking warning next time you decide to up-shit from the table like that!" he bellowed.

"Woah! Geez! Looks like somebody woke up on Niel's side of the tent." Nikki said with a sticky voice as she licked her syrup-coated hands.

"First of all, phrasing, Nikki." Neil took his seat on the opposite side of Max. "Second, yeah. What gives, Max? There's still coffee left if you need some."

"It's not that. It's just...I have a lot on my mind right now." Max resumed picking at his breakfast.

"What could you possibly have to think about so hard on our day off?" Nikki pondered.

"That's just it," said Max, "it's the middle of the week. Why did David go out of his way to cancel all activities and give everyone, including Gwen, a day off?"

"You...want...camp activities?" Neil raised a concerned brow.

"Fuck no! I know I should be happy about it, but I can't stop thinking about David."

"What about David?" Nikki stuffed her face with Max's breakfast.

"Look at him." Max gestured to the councilor as he walked up to throw his tray in the bin. "Don't you guys feel something off about him?"

Nikki and Neil pondered in silence for a few seconds.

"Yeah...he's wearing a white watch! I knew it! He IS a secret spy, and he's using this day off as a cover for a super secret heist!" Nikki stood on the table, fists in the air in victory. Neil lead her back to her seat.

"Or...David just bought a new watch." He suggested.

"My idea's cooler." Nikki protested.

"Who the fuck cares about the watch! Just-" Max sighed frustratedly, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Let's just follow him and see what he's planning."

After a good few minutes of searching, the trio eventually found "David" in the woods nearby. He's crouched before a bush, picking purple berries and putting them in a basket, all while humming an unfamiliar but somewhat cheerful tune. Max notices this but shakes it off when he, Nikki and Neil approach "David", who turns to greet them.

"Oh, hey kids!" he waved at them "Have a good breakfast?"

"It was...uh, healthier than usual?" Neil answered, but it came out as more of a question than that.

"Well, that's good! Nothing like a good nutritious breakfast to cleanse the body."

"Oh, cut it, David!" Max blurted out. "We know you're planning something, and we're here to find out what."

"David" continued picking berries as he spoke. 'Well, keep planning. Because I'm not giving away the surprise."

"And why not?" Max egged on.

"Well, then it wouldn't be a surprise, would it?" The councilor chuckled.

Max rolled his eyes. "Obviously. And I suppose the berries are a part of it?"

"Now that, I can say for sure. The delicious blueberries do play somewhat of a bit part in it. But that's all you kids are getting outta me." "David" plucked a red stem from one of the berries and flicked it away.

Neil sensed something strange and familiar about the type of berries, then it finally came to him. "Wait a minute. The other day, during the nature walk, you said to not eat berries that look like blueberries but with a red stem because they're poisonous." Max and Nikki remembered this too, besides the agonizing walk and boring nature stuff, and eyed "David", who suddenly stopped dead before picking off another berry.

"I...That's right, Neil!" he said proudly "They are very poisonous, as I said before. I was just testing your memory. Good job, Neil!"

Neil should've been proud of that remark, but was still confused. "So, why are you picking poisonous berries then?"

"Oh, these actually have nothing to do with the activity. I just figured, since you kids have free range today, I should pick off any nearby poisonous berries so that no one gets sick or worse. I'll dispose of these when I'm done." he gestures to the mountain of berries in the basket.

Max scoffed, slightly disappointed. He hoped for something more interesting than that. "I knew we were wasting our time. Come on, guys, let's go." he turns to leave with Nikki and Neil following on the trail. "Have fun with your poisonous berries, shithead!" Max called out, giving a sarcastic wave behind.

"Woah! Watch the language there, little fella."

Max stopped, still as a rock.

That cold feeling started coming back, and his mind swims.

"Wh...what did you say?" he turns his head to "David", who eyes him from the side.

"Your language. It's not appropriate for someone your age." the man answered in an innocent but firm tone.

"Yeah, it's nothing he hasn't said before." Nikki pointed out.

"Are you okay, Max?" asked Neil.

Max hesitated before snapping back to reality. "Uh, yeah. I'm fine. Let's go."


	4. Chapter 4

"Are you sure you're okay, Max?" asked Neil. "'Cause, you kinda froze back there so suddenly."

Max shuffled a bit in his steps. "Yes, Neil, I told you. I'm fine," he said in a slightly annoyed tone, but quickly regained his thoughts. "It's just...something about what David said. It sounded like I heard it before."

Neil shrugged. "So? It's probably just deja vu."

"Deja who?" Nikki leaned in.

"It's a psychological phenomenon in which a neurological discharge sparks a strange sense of familiarity in the temporal lobe," Neil explained, his voice beaming with confidence.

Nikki scoffed. "Sounds like a lotta stuff your dad talks about, Neil."

Neil's face suddenly became flustered, eyes shifting in all directions. "I-it's common knowledge, Nikki!" he squealed.

Max stepped in between the two, practically pushing them away from each other. "Hey! We're talking about David, here, not Neil's even nerdier dad!"

"Maybe you dreamt that David said that." Neil pointed out.

Max rolled his eyes. "Please. The only dreams I have that involve David are the ones that don't involve him. I know I've heard it somewhere before, okay?! Not in a dream! I just don't remember where. I feel like I should be obvious, but it's all so blurry." Max strained, feeling as if his head would explode at any moment.

Nikki and Neil exchanged a concerned look before Neil decided to approach his friend, laying a comforting hand on Max's shoulder. "Hey, man, it's okay. You wanna lie down?" He gestured to their tent.

The blue-clad boy paused for a second. A nice moment of tranquility and comfort did sound very pleasing, almost tempting. Max shook his head, however. "No, I still wanna know what David is up to. I say we go back to camp and look for clues."

Nikki leaped in excitement. "Yeah! Treasure hunt! Come on, Neil!" She followed Max, dragging an aggravated and embittered Neil by the sweater collar out of the woods.

Little did they realize the blue eyes gazing at them from within the shrubs.

As the trio made their way back to the camp, the rest of the campers had already partaken in their own disasters of so-called "activities", of which Gwen was stuck in the middle of, yet again. Her outfit and face were soiled with dirt and dust, strands of her ponytail stuck out, and her face was stained with sweat and stress. Her twisted expression twisted even further when Max, Nikki, and Neil approached the scene. "Ohhh no! Don't you little shits even think about adding to this pile of tom-fuckery! My promised "vacation" has shitty enough as it is!" She was struck with a sudden wave of pain as a flying rock collided with the back of her head. Gwen angrily picked up the rock and yelled over her shoulder. "Nurf! What the fuck did I say about throwing rocks!"

Nurf yelled back. "Sorry, Gwen! That was supposed to hit Harrison!"

"I told you that's not how levitation works!" yelled Harrison in response.

Gwen sighed, rubbing the sore spot on her head as she pocketed the rock so it can never be used on her again. "See what I mean?"

"Relax, Gwen. For once, we're not here to torment you." Max said, earning a suspicious look from the counselor.

"Yeah! We're trying to find out what David's up to," said Nikki.

"Well, Max wants to find out what David's up to," Neil explained.

Max gave Neil a sour look before turning to Gwen. "Yeah, so do you know anything about what the guy's planning?"

The woman scoffed. "You're kidding, right? I've had to deal with this shitstorm all morning, I barely got a chance to even get a word to David since breakfast! Honestly, I couldn't care less because if it isn't worth all this, I am going to castrate him with a plastic spork!" Max and Neil winced at that last threat, practically feeling the pain.

"Ok, well, we're going to...go look for clues over there. Have fun with all of this." Max said cautiously before the trio disappeared in an instant.

Gwen took a breath before being struck again with a rock but in the face this time, causing blood to spill from her nostrils. "Ok, that's it you little shit!" she yelled before storming off to Nurf's direction.

"That was Harrison, that time!"

"I'm sorry, Gwen!" cried Harrison as he scrambled to his feet.

There was no escape.

"Alright, first thing's first," Max started, as the three strolled back to camp, nearing the councilors' cabin. "Gwen wasn't any help, and David's probably still picking off more poisonous berries, so I think the best place to start looking for clues is in his cabin," he explained as he reached to open the door, but to no avail. The boy huffed in aggravation as he threw his hands to the sky. "Locked! Of-fucking-course!"

"Well, what did you expect?" Neil asked. "It's supposed to be a surprise, remember?"

Max gave Neil a sour look before huffing. "Okay, knowing David, he probably left a spare key somewhere around the cabin. You guys check the other side and meet me in the back."

"Alright!" Nikki cheered as she leaped in excitement. She then began to crawl on all fours and repeatedly sniff the dirt like a bloodhound, Neil indifferently followed behind. Max rolled his eyes and began to search.

After a short while, the trio expectedly met up at the rear of the cabin, Nikki back on her feet with her face covered in dirt and shame.

"Anything?" asked Max.

Neil shook his head, softly patting Nikki's dirt-caked one. "Nothing. All we found was a disgruntled squirrel with an eyepatch."

"Goddammit!" Max emitted, kicking a nearby rock into the bushes. "There goes, possibly, our one shot at-WOAAH!" Suddenly, Max crashed, face first, onto the forest floor.

"Max! Are you okay?" Neil asked with concern as he and Nikki jogged to their friend. "What happened?"

Max pried himself from the grass and coughed up a leaf. "Gah! Yeah, I'm fine. What the hell did I trip on?!" he looked back over his shoulder to find a garden hose lying in the grass. He didn't pay it much attention other than annoyance, but Neil, however, gave it a second glance.

"Wait, has that hose always been there?" the science nerd pondered, rubbing his chin between his thumb and curved index finger as he approached the garden utensil for further inspection.

Max groaned painfully as he rose to his feet. "Who fucking cares! It's a hose! Now, can we please forget that I tripped on it and get back to the matter at hand?"

"I think there's more to it than that." Neil gestured to the end of the hose, at the cabin. It wasn't connected to the spigot but instead burrowed through a pre-cut hole underneath the cabin.

Max raised an eyebrow. "Oookay. I guess that's a little weird. But, so what? David probably has sprinklers out there or something."

Nikki gasped excitedly, eyes glistening as they grew twenty inches wider. "What if the surprise is a water park?"

"Uhh, we have a lake! And besides, if this shitty place can't afford to give us our own cabins, I highly doubt it can afford to rent a water park." Max said, stuffing his hands in his hoodie pocket.

Neil took the hose with both hands, bent it, then released it. "I don't think it was even sprinklers because the water isn't flowing from the cabin but to the cabin, underneath it actually," Neil explained. This little piece of knowledge suddenly sparked an interest in Max.

"So, you think this might have something to do with what David's planning?"

Neil rubbed his chin again. "Maybe. But I know for a fact that this wasn't here before."

"Great!" Max huffed, "The first and possibly only lead we have and it's in the very place where we can't get into!"

Nikki gives a shrug. "Besides it's not like we can all reach the window anyway."

"Yeah, we ca-Wait, what window?" Max turns to Nikki, a questioning but bitter eyebrow raised.

"The open window right above us? Duh!" Nikki points upward toward a small half-opened skylight framed near the roof of the cabin.

Max was about to complain as to why Nikki hadn't told them earlier, but no words could form. Instead, he pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily. "Alright, gimme a boost."

Max's tiny hands strained as he struggled to reach the frame of the window. "Higher, Neil!" he ordered. "I'm almost there!"

Neil's noodly arms and legs trembled like Jell-O underneath the weight of the other two campers. "I can't! Nikki's already standing on my hands!"

"You can stand on my head, Max!" Nikki offered. Max hesitated but he took one foot off Nikki's shoulder and got a good footing before letting the other join. "Just don't struggle if my hair tries to eat your shoe. It'll only make it angry," she warned.

Max rolled his eyes but blinked as he could have sworn he heard a faint growl from underneath him. He didn't let himself get too distracted as he finally was able to reach the window, and climbed. "I got it!" he exclaimed.

"Oh, thank God!" huffed Neil as he crashed onto his weak knees after Nikki jumped off him.

Max glanced down at the two. "You guys stay out here and keep an eye out for David or Gwen!"

"Got it!" Nikki gave Max the "O.K." sign as Neil gives a weak thumbs up.

Max leaped and softly landed on the wooden floor of the councilor's room, and wasted no time in searching for clues. He skimmed and scanned every nook and cranny, every closet, every drawer, every job acceptions letters for Gwen-all zero of them-but all had to lead up no clues as to David's secret plan or where the hose supposedly leads to. Eventually, he came across an unchecked waste bin next to the desk. Max rustled through the mountains of crumpled up snack wrappers until he found a fresh newspaper. He knew David wasn't the biggest reader when it comes to news, as seeing sad or disturbing headlines always upset him, but David knew better than to throw away paper in the trash bin instead of reusing it or throwing it in the recycling bin outside. Obviously, there must be something in it that David wouldn't want anyone else to see. Max unfolded the newspaper and began skimming through a myriad of words and layers upon layers of pages and ads until one small word made Max take a second glance: Cult. Max read along accordingly.

'Local police and special agents continue to search diligently for the patient that vanished from Sleepy Peak General the other night. The patient in pursuit had recently been identified as a man who only goes by "Daniel", an infamous cult leader who has left thousands dead during his previous visits to local and even military compounds. If anyone has seen this man, please inform the police or FBI as soon as possible.'

Max gulped as he saw Daniel's mugshot. He felt cold again. Suddenly everything made sense. Suddenly everything didn't make sense. He remembered the poisonous berries and "David's" to them and his blue eyes. There was no room for doubt in his mind. He jolted when he heard a glassy tapping. He looked up to find Nikki and Neil peeking from a nearby window.

"Find anything, Max?" Nikki asked as she pressed her face against the glass.

Max ripped the page out as quickly as he could, miraculously without ruining it and frantically climbed onto the desk. "Guys! He's not David! He's not David!" he shrieked, waving the article against the window.

Neil lightly pushed Nikki out of the way. "Woah! Max, relax! What are you saying? Who's not-?" Neil took a look away and gasped. "Max, hide! David's coming!" Neil warned before looking for cover.

"He's not-!" Max growled in frustration and desperation as he quickly crumpled the page into a ball and successfully tossed it over the skylight. Before he had a chance to even think about a possible hiding spot, the door opened. 'Fuck!' Max froze like a deer in headlights as "David" spotted him. "Max?"

The boy began sweating bullets but quickly found his composure. "Uh, hey there, David." he gave a nervous wave.

"David" entered the cabin, walking towards Max, who absentmindedly took a step back. "What are you doing here? You know you're not supposed to go inside the councilor's cabin. It's not polite." he lectured with a hand on his hip. "I suggest you go to your tent and think about your actions." he pointed to the open doorway.

Max cleared his throat as he walked passed "David". "Uh...yeah, sure. Sorry about that, Dan-!" he paused, cursing under his breath. "D-David." Max hoped, prayed, that "David" didn't notice. But Daniel did.

Suddenly the door was slammed shut as was Max's only chance of escape. He froze as the man spoke. "What was that, Max?"

Max gulped, clenching his abdomen. "N-nothing, David. I didn't say anything."

"David" chuckled as he edged closer. "Well, that's funny. Because I coulda swore you said 'Dan'. Now, why would you ever mix up my name with that?" Max didn't notice it, but "David" had removed the throw rug behind him and opened a latch.

"It...it was just a mistake, David. I didn't mean to...offend you."

Max heard a scoff. "Offend me? Oh, heavens no! Don't be ridiculous!" he laughed once more before whispering into Max's ear. "It just makes me so happy with how much you've missed me."

With a yank of the hood, Max found himself falling.


	5. Chapter 5

Tiredness, coldness, and sadness: David's only cellmates. Ever since Daniel had left him, they uninvitedly let themselves into David's mind. He didn't pay them any attention, however, he couldn't let their bad influence get to him. He would much rather stay near his old friend who shone dimly above his head. It never left him before, but he was afraid, eventually, he would.

Nothing's been good in David's favor for the past few...hours..? Time neither felt fast or slow with him, but he knew he was wasting it sitting there. Still, there wasn't much he thought to do anymore. The water had already risen to his abdomen, and his forehead and shoulders were throbbing; he was sure they were bruised, and yet the glass remained undamaged.

He was starting to grow weary, eyes and mind desperate for a moment of sleep, but he knew that would only make his inevitable death quicker.

It would only make his death quicker...

David jumped when he heard a familiar wooden creak, and he felt his stomach drop. Daniel was back, as he promised. Another sound accompanied the creak; it sounded like a sack of potatoes dropping on the concrete. But sacks of potatoes don't make an "Omph" sound. David suddenly felt as if his heart had stopped.

"Daaaviiid~!" Daniel sang in a mocking tone as he landed near Max. "I'm back! And I brought you a little gift!" He effortlessly picked up the dazed boy by the hood and crept toward his prisoner.

"MUX!" David muffled under his gag, eyes widened out of their sockets.

As Max began to come to, he noticed the familiar man in front of him and jolted awake. "Gah! DAVID?!" he yelped and realized he was being held up. "You cultist shit!"

Daniel's grin stretched further across his face. "Now, Max, remember what I said about the language. Talking like that will only get you into trouble. Like now." a sickening crack sound emerged from Daniel's neck. "I was surprised you took this long to figure me out, Max since you were the first before. But you didn't even notice my eyes. You'd think that'd be the first thing people would notice, right? But, I should've known you'd see through me eventually. You're a smart kiddo, after all."

"So, what are you gonna do, kill me?" Max spoke as stoically as he could muster, face dripping.

"Kill you? Oh, no! I'm trying to save you. To save you all from your premature negativity before it gets worse. And you, Max, have the strongest aurora of negativity I've ever sensed from a child, and I'm not giving up on you that easily. Right, David?" he turned his gaze towards David's pleading eyes. "Like I said, Max, I'm not gonna kill you. But I can't let you have free range and run your little mouth to everyone about me. So, I'm just gonna leave you down here with David until after my special activity."

Max's face met with concrete again as Daniel dropped him, and quickly recovered. "And what's your 'special activity'?" he spat.

"Nice try, Max, but it's still a surprise. And don't you go spoiling it, David. But you'll be joining us soon, Max."

Max scoffed. "The hell I will! I'm not gonna fall for your cult shit, Daniel!"

"Oh, I beg to differ. I can be very persuasive." Daniel said, running his thumb along the edges of something sharp behind his back. "I've converted you once, Max, and I can do it again. David just won't be joining us this time." Daniel mockingly shrugged.

"You sick fuck-!" Max growled before Daniel's boot collided with his stomach, knocking him back onto the hard floor. Over his own painful groans, Max heard David's muffled cries.

Daniel towered over the boy. "What did I say about the language?" Max coughed through gritted teeth as his glare met with the cultist. Daniel turned and sighed. "Anyway, I should take my leave with you two, especially you, David. It was nice while it lasted, and I'm not lying when I say that I'll miss you. Oh, that's right! I'll always see you, now! Huh. So, I guess those who die truly don't leave us. Isn't that something?"

Daniel's maniacal laughter echoed throughout the room until he left. Max picked himself up, rubbing his sore spot as he groaned. He looked up to be met with David's worried expression. "Don't worry, David. That fucker thinks he can keep us in here, he's wrong! We'll get outta here, and the others will be fine." he smirked. "I left Nikki and Neil a little clue."


	6. Chapter 6

"What the hell is taking him so long?" Neil said to himself in a harsh whisper. "He should've been out by now!"

"David must be giving him a pretty hard lecture." Nikki shrugged.

"Knowing David, he's probably singing about it." Neil internally chuckled at the thought of Max's face.

Finally, Neil decided to take a peek through the window. As he scanned the room, not only could he not find Max or David, but also took notice of a suspicious cellar door in the center. He also took notice of the folded-back rug near it. "What the...?" To Neil's surprise, Nikki was also lost for words. The two jumped when the wooden door swung open and a familiar maroon hair floof, and retreated to the rear of the cabin.

After a few panicked pants, Neil turned to Nikki so fast he could hear his neck pop. "Ok, no reason to panic...!" He said, rubbing his sweaty palms together and casually shifting his eyes, "So, David just has a cellar in his cabin, and Max isn't in the room. It's probably nothing totally batshit insane, like a torture chamber, right?" Neil let out a shaky chuckle as his face leaked with sweat. His brain continued to avoid the worst case scenario as his stomach turned.

As Neil quaked and fidgeted, Nikki took notice of the balled up paper before her. Curiously, she unwadded it and skimmed through the article, Neil later peeking his head over her shoulder.

Suddenly, Nikki's pupils shrunk, eyes never leaving the paper, as Neil's breakfast spilled on the forest floor.

Gwen sighed in relief as she slumped against a tree trunk. After a long battle, the camper chaos has finally died down. She forgot how exactly, and quite frankly she didn't care. She was alone with nothing but the peaceful serenity of the forest. She never thought she'd miss it as much as she does now. Before she reached her back pocket, Gwen took a peek around the oak tree. The coast was clear, and now there was nothing to get in the way of her dirty fanfic writing. Unsheathing her pen, she began to write.

 _'-He thrust his hips faster as his black wings flapped with anticipation. Sam clenched the bed sheets as his partner's pace increased, each moan louder than the last. "Oh Cass-"'_

The pen drew a jittery line across the paper as Gwen cringed at the sound of her name being called from behind her. As expected, Nikki and Neil sprinted to her special hiding spot. Before they could even get a word in, Gwen threw her pen in the bushes in a fit of rage. Steam was practically shooting from her ears.

"Just ONCE can you kids just give me even a moment's peace?! And after all the shit I went through this morning, I'd say I fucking earned it!"

"And that's really good and all, but we got bigger fish to fry! David is-!" Neil paused before taking a quick look around. He lowered his voice. "David is Daniel..!"

Gwen blinked, her dull expression never shifted. "Daniel. You mean, the weird David re-color we hired back then?"

"Yes, him! He's not a camp counselor! He's a crazy cultist! He tried to-!" Neil was interrupted when an aggravated sigh left Gwen's mouth.

She pinched the bridge of her nose. "So, let me get this straight. You're saying that David, this whole time, is not only Daniel but a dangerous cultist."

"It's way more believable than you think!" Neil flailed his arms in anger. "We saw this cellar door in the councilor's cabin, and we think that's where Daniel's keeping Max and David-!"

"-Aaand the cellar door in the councilor's cabin is where I draw the line. Look, as much as I would love to sit here and pretend to give a shit about you and the other's elaborate prank, I literally have a million better things to do right now. So, if you're done wasting my time-"

Neil sighed. "I don't even know why we fucking bothered. If you were there that day Daniel almost killed us all, you wouldn't be sitting here on your ass right now. I wanted to tell you because, for some reason, I hoped you would care about someone other than yourself. Should've known this would be a waste of time." Neil glared daggers at Gwen as she shared hers, which shifted a bit as she could've sworn she could see his eyes glimmer.

Neil finally turned to leave. "Come on, Nikki. We should warn the others." He shot one last glare over his shoulder. "And maybe we can save Max and David, too." Nikki hesitated before following Neil.

Gwen watched as the two disappeared from view. She scoffed as she returned to her notebook before she realized her pen was missing. "Dammit..!" she cursed under her breath. Scanning the area, she noticed a figure moving in the corner of her eye. It was "David", making his way toward the Mess Hall. Gwen rolled her eyes and took a second glance as David shifted his head in all directions before making eye contact with her. They stared at each other for a while, one in confusion and the other in stunned fear, before the latter smiled and waved, and finally entered the Mess Hall. Gwen pocketed her notebook before doing the same.

As she opened the doors, she could hear the whirring from an old model blender in the back of the kitchen and start towards it. As expected, 'David' was there, blending a deep purple slush.

"Hey, David." Her partner jumped in surprise before turning to greet her.

"Oh! Hi, Gwen!" He waved ever so chipperly. "What brings you here?"

"Just thought I could use a vacation...from my vacation," Gwen spoke in a condescending tone, glaring at the redhead.

'David" laughed wholeheartedly before returning to his blending. "That's funny, Gwen!"

Gwen dug her fingernails into her arms until she sighed with ease. "So, David. I was wondering if you knew where Max ran off to. I just ran into Nikki and Neil, and they were looking for him."

"Don't worry about Max, Gwen. I had a talk with him about invading other's business, and I'm sure he's having a long thought about it." 'David' chuckled from under the blending.

Gwen sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. So, I've been thinking. You remember that guy Daniel?"

"How could I forget him? He was such a good camp counselor! So good with the campers, even better than I ever could! Why do you ask?"

"Right, well, I was wondering, what happened to him? Like, if he was so good why didn't he last a whole day?"

'David' clenched his fist, deeply inhaling through his nostrils. "Because Gwen...he's not invincible. Even he isn't immune to something like rat poison."

Gwen blinked in confusion. "Wait. Rat poison? The hell was that doing in fruit punch?"

"Oh, just another silly prank by Max. You know how it goes. He's such a...fun little scamp." 'David' pushed harder on the blending button.

Gwen feigned a gasp. "Really? Didn't think Max would do something so...hardcore. I mean, poison. I just hope Daniel's okay and doesn't take it too hard."

"I'm sure he's fine, Gwen. But it warms my heart knowing you care so much, even though you didn't know him long! Just goes to show how much you're growing!"

Gwen paused before finally deciding to turn to the exit. "Right. Well, I'm gonna go grab a pen from the councilor's cabin. See you at the activity, David."

"Okay, Gwen! Bye!" the councilor waved without turning to see her stop before the doors.

"Oh, and David?"

"Mm? Yes, Gwen?"

"Are you feeling okay? Because you pronounced "food poisoning" differently today." Gwen was no longer met with the sound of the blender as she shut the doors behind her.


	7. Chapter 7

Gwen sealed the door behind her and quickly locked it, no one was to come into the councilor's cabin with her in this state of mind. The room suddenly shifted and blurred. No bed, no walls, just shapes, and colors surrounded her. Dragging her weighted feet, she dropped on to what she recognized as a chair to regain her composure.

"Okay," she huffed, "Relax, calm down. Just...breathe." Gwen performed a few sets of square breaths-inhale and hold for four, and exhale and hold for four- and repeated the process like how David showed her. Just like how David...

She stopped.

"Urgh! Stop!" She barked at herself, gripping her hair and pulling some strands from her ponytail. "It's nothing serious! You're overreacting! David just..." Gwen felt a weird taste in her mouth after saying that name. "David, just...made a mistake."

She was right. So what if David confused "food poisoning" for "Max poisoned Daniel with rat poison". It happens. Right? Daniel might have been weird beyond belief, but it was ridiculous to think he was a child-murdering cultist. It's also ridiculous to think there's even a cellar in the councilor's cabin. Gwen paused, mindlessly rolling her chair halfway around until something caught her eye. She stared at the carpet. Was it really that ridiculous? Campbell was a shady guy, after all.

The counselor sighed. "Get it out of your head."

Turning back to her desk, she grabbed the nearest mechanical pencil and made her way to the front door. As she grasped the knob, she stood there frozen in place. Her brain commanded her hand to make even the slightest turn to release the lock, but nothing prevailed. Losing control of her body, Gwen turned and looked at the rug once more. She thought about Neil. She remembered the disdain in his voice, the weight of his words, the seriousness in his tone,

...the water in his eyes.

"David is a WHAT?!" the campers exclaimed in unison, all giving each other and Neil and Nikki confused glances and collected murmurs.

"Quiet! He'll hear you!" Neil shouted in the form of a whisper as he cautiously scanned the area behind him. To his relief, the coast was clear.

"I mean, I can't say I'm surprised. That campy smile of his was always uncanny." Harrison said.

Neil pinched the bridge of his nose. "No! David's not the cultist! Daniel is! He disguised himself as David and he's going to kill us!"

Once again, the campers looked at each other.

"Wait. You mean, the creepy counselor guy is a cultist and he tried to kill us?" Nerris asked.

"Wha-YES!" Neil raised a brow and threw his arms in the air. "You were all there! Don't you remember?!"

"Everything, after that dude showed up, is, like, way trippy." Ered rubbed her spinning head. The other campers nodded in agreement.

At first, Neil was beyond perplexed, but then he remembered how fuzzy everything was after being thrown into that sauna. Was this the effect of the purification? Nikki, Neil, and Max were the last ones to be purified, the others have been an hour or so longer. Could reversing the purification have affected their memories?

"So, if that's true, does that mean the activity..." Harrison didn't know how to finish that question, and he didn't think he wanted to.

"I've no idea, but we can't take any chances," Neil said.

"But, even if ze David doppelganger-vith better hair und eyes-iz a cultizt, zer's no vay ze authoritez vill believe uz." Dolph pointed out.

"I don't wanna admit it, but Dolph's right." Neil sighed painfully. "All we have is a news article and vague memories. But we have to do something. There's gotta be a way we can trick Daniel into giving himself away." Neil rubbed his chin in thought.

The campers were all silent, sharing looks of concern until Preston chimed in with great enthusiasm. "I have a marvelous idea!" the theatre kid held up a quill and parchment.

Neil, along with the other campers, rolled their eyes. "Preston, no offense, but I doubt a play is gonna help us."

Preston scoffed, shaking his head. "I beg to differ. Any of you philistines heard of Hamlet?"


	8. Chapter 8

**_CRASH!_**

Shards of fallen glassware scattered across the floor, glistening like silver mirrors under the kitchen lights. Daniel gripped the sides of the counter, his nails digging into the splintery wood as if they could cut right through it. He stared into nothing for the longest time, completely unaware of his unstable breathing pattern, and reflecting on Gwen's leaving words.

 _'Are you feeling okay? Because you pronounced 'food poisoning' differently today.'_

 _'_ _ **You**_ _pronounced_ _ **'food poisoning'**_ _differently today.'_

 _'_ _ **Food poisoning**_ differe _-'_

 ** _'Food poisoning!'_**

 _ **'FOOD POISONING!"**_

 _ **' G'**_

Daniel fell to his knees, covering his ears in his palms but the voice kept playing in his head, over and over like a broken record. Eventually, it amplified above Daniel's anguished screams, cold sweat pouring down his face.

 **"ENOUGH!"**

In an instant, the voice had vanished. Daniel opened his eyes, unblocking his ears as he rose to his feet. He examined around the room, gripping the hilt of his dagger behind his back, searching for the source of the sudden shout only to be met with an irritated sigh from an unearthly voice, one of which Daniel recognized.

The blonde released his dagger as he turned to a nearby mirror to be met with, unsurprisingly, David's face, but with deep black eyes and a sharp, permanent smile with hundreds of thin sharp teeth that seemed to stretch around his head.

"X...Xemug?" Daniel stammered as he slowly approached the mirror for further inspection. The reflection chuckled, unfazed by Daniel's movements.

"Of course, I am, fool! Who else would I seem to be? Other than this pathetic reflection. And what have you learned about negative emotions?"

Daniel gulped, running a hand through his sweaty hair. "O-of course, my apologies, lord." A familiar smile stretched on Daniel's face. "Let me just say that I am humbled that you-"

"Enough with the formalities, Daniel. If you thought I showed myself to you because you were special, you are sorely mistaken. I come to you for the opposite."

Daniel felt a twinge of pain in his chest at that remark but kept his clean smile. The reflection continued.

"You were easily discovered by a child. A clever child, but a child. Not only that, but you were so consumed by pride that you swallowed your own poison. Pride is a negative emotion, Daniel. Would this planet's atmospherical negativity be tainting your mind and soul?"

"No!" Daniel dropped to his knees in submission, uncaring of the glass shards tearing through his knees. "Of course not, my lord. I would never let that happen. I want my soul to be pure enough to stand with you in the celestial realm."

The reflection shook their head. "There is no such thing as 'pure enough', Daniel. There is only 'pure'. If you were not so committed to your mission, and the only surviving minister -since that girl went missing- I would have stripped you of your leadership." Daniel's forehead sunk deeper onto the floor as he bowed, beads of sweat slipping between the cracks in the wooden floorboards. "However, because of that, I will grant you one final chance of redemption. If you fail-"

"I won't!" Daniel lifted his head so hard off the floor his neck cracked, louder than normal. Huffing pants in relief to regain his posture. "I promise! I won't! Thank you, Xemug!" his smile grew further into his cheeks.

The reflection huffed. "Good. Now, about the girl, she suspects you. What are you to do about it?"

"You mean to silence her?"

"No, she is far too impure to die by your hands. Also, it is impossible to kill her without being noticed. What you should be focused on are the children. How much longer until they find out?"

"That's impossible." Daniel walked over to the nearest window, piercing through the reflection in it, absentmindedly watching the campers. "The kids don't suspect a thing. The only one who figured me out so quickly was Max..." Daniel's eyes widened almost out of their sockets as two familiar figures entered his field vision. The reflection's smile curled. "And Nikki and Neil. They knew. They knew, and I forgot it." How could he have forgotten something so faint yet so obvious? The blonde's uneasy breathing was rising until the reflection spoke.

"Don't get too excited, Daniel. Look again."

Daniel did as he was told. The campers were all walking down the same path as if actually following each other. Most of them carrying long wooden planks, paint, and other materials. Daniel blinked unbelievingly. "They...they're all working together."

The reflection's smile curled as Daniel continued to stare passed it. "Too quickly, it seems. They could be preparing your gallows for all you know. What you need to do is to be one step ahead of them. So, what will you do?"

Daniel turned his gaze away from the window when he felt something warm slide down his legs. He looked down to see thin streaks of blood, staining the trims of his socks, from several shards of glass protruding from his knees. He looked at the purple beverage in the blender, a smile crept on his face. Whipping out his book with a pentacle on the cover, he turned to a specific page.

"What will I do?"

He wiped a line of blood from his leg with his finger, and lifted his shirt up over his chest, keeping it there by his teeth, and began drawing the pattern on his torso.

"Save them all."

Daniel's reflection smiled.

"No! ... No! ... NO!"

Max huffed as he tossed every useless object over his shoulder. Of course, Daniel would trap him in a cellar with no blunt, glass-shattering objects lying around. He couldn't have expected him to make it easy for him. Ever since Daniel shut the door Max had spent the last hour/hours searching for a way to free him and David, especially David.

Punching and kicking the glass wasn't an option, and his sore knuckles and feet would second that. Pushing and trying to knock it over was out of the question, he wasn't even sure an adult could succeed. And he couldn't even try to reach for the hose at the top, what with his obvious height. It wasn't like there was anything he could use to reach or to give him a boost. But he'd be damned if he didn't try everything he could for David's sake. After all, he would do the same in Max's shoes.

Max turned his gaze toward David. The only horologe he had was measuring the water to David's level, which was getting dangerously close to his chin. Max's eyes were more fixed on David's expression. He didn't look like his chipper and upbeat self. His maroon hair floof, usually upright and lively, now drooped on his face, strands were torn apart. Above all else, his eyes dimmed under the limited light, glazed and glued to Max's direction but seemed to be looking through him as if he were an apparition. He looked tired. He looked defeated. Completely hopeless.

Max shook his fists, gritting his teeth as if they could break. "Stop that." He huffed a few times. "Stop looking at me like that. Do you hear me?! Don't you fucking give me that look! You think I'm not trying my best here? I'm actually trying something for you, David! You should be happy or say how proud you are of me for doing this! So, don't look at me like it's useless! It's not hopeless, David! It's never hopeless! And you know what-?" Max's voice cracked and pierced a tiny finger at the glass. "I learned that from you." One slight movement from David was enough for Max to return to his searching. "So, lighten up a little, or something."

David felt his heartbeat for the first time in a while, but this feeling stung. Seeing how cynical, little Max was trying so hard to save him, to save the camp again, hurt to witness. For all he knew, Daniel had already won. The only difference is if he survived in the end to witness it. His eyes felt heavier. His breathing steadied. He needed to sleep. Sleep was good.


	9. Chapter 9

The amphitheater was the busiest it had ever been. Group by group, the campers scuttled all over the stage, performing their assigned tasks. Ered and Nerf had set up the wooden background layout as Dolph painted the space-themed scenery alongside Space Kid, who was ever so excited to do so.

Nerris was lock-focused as she precisely stabbed the thread end through the pin loop and proceeded to stitch the fabrics of her costume. A frustrated grunt took her out of her zone as she glanced slightly to see Harrison struggling to loop his thread. Looking down at her project, Nerris had half a mind to obey her first impulse and continued stitching, but something inside her knew that wouldn't be the "neutral good" thing to do. Swallowing her pride, she scooted over to the young magician and showed him how it's done.

After Neil had finished setting up the lights and props, he made his way over to Preston, who was on the side barking orders to deaf ears.

"So, you're sure this'll work?" the science nerd asked.

"Of course, it will!" Preston exclaimed as he rolled up his completed scroll. "The play is based on what Daniel has told us about his...beliefs. We just need to do or say something inaccurate to what he knows and if David really is Daniel, he won't hesitate to correct us. Trust me, it's completely fool-proof."

"Right." Neil rubbed his hand with nervousness. He wasn't completely certain how well thought out this scheme was, but for everyone's sake, it had to work. Daniel was smart, but there's no way he'd be smart enough not to fall for a trick like this, especially with his cultish beliefs involved. They just couldn't afford to fail.

"Agent Alpha Wolf reporting, sir!"

Neil flinched in surprise as Nikki, seemingly, bounced into existence with a perky salute. She was caked in dusty soil and sticky bush leaves, more than usual. It was then when Neil remembered her assignment.

"Nikki, how's the David-watching going?" he asked.

Nikki saluted again. "Last I saw him, he was drawing something in the soil beside the lake. He was doing the same near the camper's tents and the activities field."

Neil rubbed his chin. "Hm. That definitely sounds like some cult shit. Probably best we don't-wait." The boy's eyes widened, his face suddenly pale. "If he's going around the camp, then the only place left is-"

"Heya, campers!" 'David' exclaimed ever so merrily as he skipped from behind the stage.

Neil, once again, sprung off his feet in surprise and yelped as he landed hard on his back.

"Whoops, sorry. Didn't mean to scare you." The camp counselor said, putting a little too much emphasis on the word "scare".

Neil achingly rose to his feet, wiping the dirt and sweat from his face. "Huh?! Sc-scare us, David? No, no way! Never!" Nikki nodded alongside Neil, doing a slightly better job at hiding her fear.

"Well, that's good." 'David' gave the two a friendly grin, much to their collected gulps. "I couldn't help but notice you over here. I thought I'd catch you all doing your own thing, seeing how the agenda is empty today."

Nikki and Neil exchanged a look. "Uh, yeah, well. W-we were just so happy about the agenda that we decided to do something nice for you, David. It's kind of a surprise, so we can't get too deep into it."

'David' beamed with joy. "Really? That's great! It warms my heart to see you all work together, and on your own too. I'm sure it'll make a good finisher for the activity."

Neil swore he felt his heart skyrocket to his throat before speaking up. "Uh! A-actually, David. We were hoping that you could see this, uh, before the activity? I mean, not that we don't think yours' is any less good, but we just..."

As Neil struggled for an excuse, 'David' took a quick glance at the stage, the layout, the peculiar costumes, the kids pretending they never spotted him.

A smile stretched across his face.

"No worries, Neil. I'd love to see what you campers have planned for me. I just need to do some finishing touches first. Come get me when you're ready." And with that, the spirited redhead left the scene.

Neil and Nikki turned to Preston, who exchanged wide expressions with them. Clearing his throat and regaining his posture, the theatre kid turned back to the campers.

"Places!"

The plan was now in motion.

Daniel peeked over his shoulder before retreating to the Mess Hall. Taking in the silence, his lips crawled across his cheeks into a wicked expression no sane man could mistake for pleasantness. His shoulders bounced as he doubled over in uncontainable chuckles. Soon, the room echoed and filled with a fit of malicious laughter. Clutching his sides, he fell to his knees as he gasped for air with an unnatural wheeze.

"Everything is tied perfectly. The campers are right where I want them, and there is nothing, and no one that can get in my way." Daniel almost fell into another fit, but his aching sides pleaded him not to. Best save the final laugh for the end.

Reaching into his vest, he yanked out the pentacle book and flipped through the pages to reanalyze the instructions to his plan. He chuckled to himself as it was like the camp itself was built for this scheme.

The recipe for the Circle had been split up of five ingredients, each had been marked with the appropriate location. The Activities Field for Earth, the Campers Tents for Fire, the Lake for Water, and the Amphitheater for Air. Everything was coming together, except Daniel couldn't help but feel like something important was missing. Taking a closer look at the Circle, he recalled the final element.

It didn't take long for Daniel to conclude his thought. He peeked over to his wrist and analyzed the time before snapping the book shut, and tucking it back to the inside pocket, Daniel allowed a smirk to grow on his face.

"I'm sure David won't mind if I use his."

...

"David? David?!" Gwen shouted as she shook David's drenched limp form. He was cold yet wasn't shivering. He wasn't moving at all. She needed to act fast.

"Max, help me get these off!" Gwen yelled over her shoulder as she gently lay David down on his side, mindful to clear the hundreds of glass shards scattered across the floor, and tossed her, now, useless rock away.

Max wasted no time and dropped to his knees as his tiny hands scrambled to uncoil the chains bounding David's limbs, Gwen assisting him. Soon the heavy binds were gone, and Max helped Gwen as they lay David flat on his back, his head slightly lulled over one side. Gwen yanked the gag off his mouth, she and Max shuddering at the sight of his blue lips before Gwen cupped David's face.

"David! David, wake up! It's me, Gwen!" She patted his cheeks, trying all she could to rouse him. She then hovered her ear over his lips. Max watched in fear as Gwen's face shifted, mirroring his.

"Shit!" Gwen cursed. Suddenly, all those days of CPR came flooding back to her, and she moved her hands over to David's chest, recalling a song as she pressed along to the tempo.

"...26, 27, 28, 29, 30!" Gwen hastily pinched David's nostrils, lifting his chin slightly as she performed two rescue breaths. She and Max leaned back, waiting for a response.

There was none.

Gwen cursed again before returning to chest compressions.

"Come on. Come on, David..!" She pleaded. With each beat, she felt as if her own chest was being pounded on. She felt her breath shorted with each huff. The longer she looked at David's face, the more blurred he became.

"Max!" She called over, "Yell at him! 10,11,12! Swear, scream, I don't care! 16,17,18! Just wake him up!" When she was met with silence again, she snapped her gaze over to Max prepared to yell at him for his unresponsiveness. Before she could, however, she fixed her gaze over the boy and realized. She wasn't looking at Max. She wasn't looking at the cynical, mischievous, all-around "little shit" she got to know over the summer. Before her, was just a scared little boy. Gwen looked down to see his tiny fingers coiled tightly around David's pointer. Gwen wanted to say something, something comforting, for both of them, but she realized she hit the thirtieth beat and returned to the breaths. As she returned to compressions, Gwen coulda swore she heard a shaky breath, only it wasn't from the one she hoped for.

Count and huff. Count and huff. Her arms were starting to throb in pain, but she couldn't stop. Not now. There were two people that needed her, but no one for her. And why should there be? What has she ever done to deserve help? The first time Daniel came to camp, did she stay? No. She abandoned them to a potential freak. What was she even doing that day? Shopping? It didn't matter. Now, Daniel returns to the camp, and she was even warned, But did she listen? No! All she ever thought about was herself because no one else was stupid enough to do so. No one except David. And she failed him. Had she listened sooner, David would be alive. Something splashed on the back of her hand as she let out a huffed sob, gritting her teeth as she pressed harder.

"David, you never quit before. So, fucking, neither will I!" Gwen huffed as sweat rolled down her cheeks.


End file.
